From the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee, the High Lonesome Senate is Walters State Community College’s performing bluegrass ensemble. The current lineup includes art major Laree McMurray of Church Hill on fiddle; general studies major Ryan Henard of Rogersville on mandolin; agriculture major Riley Denton of Jefferson City on banjo and dobro; history major Corey Kapnick of Morristown on bass; and their instructor and Dean of Humanities Chip McLain on guitar. The vocal trio of McMurray, Henard, and McLain offers a real treat with this year’s band, and a capella numbers adding Denton’s bass vocal to the quartet are crowd favorites. Having played all across Walters State’s 10-county service area, the group has steadily become a regional favorite since their first shows in 2013. Past highlight performances for the band include opening for bluegrass legend Doyle Lawson at Greeneville’s Niswonger Performing Arts Center, competing in SPBGMA’s 2019 International Band Competition, and serving as the host band for the Hawkins County Best of the Best Awards in 2018 and 2019. The band released their first album, Cotton Candy Skies, last September, and their second release, Split Decision, will be available at IBMA’s World of Bluegrass 2019.
